Voice entry system

ABSTRACT

An arrangement is disclosed for making entries into an information system from a plurality of remote locations by voice communications. The arrangement comprises a speech compression means and an audio buffer means associated with each location, the speech compression means functioning to compress the duration of a message whereby a keyboard operator receiving the voice communications can handle a plurality of locations, the audio buffer means being operative to store the compressed message. There is also associated with each location a word counter which contains a count of the words in a message, a count in a word counter signifying that a complete message is in the audio buffer enabling the locations where that message has been entered to have that message processed. The arrangement includes a sequencing unit which establishes which location can receive processing. The keyboard operator enters the messages into an information-processing system and the results of this processing are then transmitted back to the appropriate locations where they can be printed out or otherwise be availed of.

United States Patent Greanias et al. Feb. 8, 1972 s41 VOICE ENTRY SYSTEM [57] ABSTRACT v [72] Inventors: Evon C. Greanlas, Chappaqua; Wilbur .I. An arrangement is disclosed for making entries into an infor- Levlne, Poughkeepsie, both of N.Y. mation system from a plurality of remote locations by voice communications. The arrangement comprises a speech com- [73] Amp-lee Mm pression means and an audio buffer means associated with each location, the speech compression means functioning to [22] Filed: June 30, 1970 compress the duration of a message whereby a keyboard operator receiving the voice communications can handle a [2!] App! 51303 plurality of locations. the audio bufi'er means being operative to store the compnesed message. There is also associated with [52] US. Cl. ...340/152R, l79ll VC each location a word counter which contains a count of the [SI] MCI. 304119100 wordsina,acountinawordoountersignifyingthata I58] iidddselrell ..340/l52; 235/619; 179/1 VC complete is in the audio bufl'er enabling the locations where that has been entered to have that message 56 I REFERENCES CITED processed. The arrangement includes a sequencing unit which Information Display, November/December, 1964, Voice Response and Visual Display Techniques Auakian et al pp. l2-l9 {copyjn 340-152, 154) establishes which location can receive processing. The

keyboard operator enters the messages into an informationprocessing system and the results of this processing are then transmitted back to the appropriate locations where they can be printed out or otherwise be availed of.

OTHER PUBLICATIONS i. .92% 30 Drawing S Primary Examiner-DonaldJ.Yusko Attorney-Hanifin and Jancin and Isidore Match 15 k 22 1141]} SPEECH AUDIO READ COMPRESSION 51 UNIT H BUFFER n COiflROL B2 memo COUNTER OPERATOR new} 1s 12 12 u I 15 SERVICE 13 CONTROL j KEYBOARD 32 SEOUENCER LOGIC 2e FILE a PROCESSOR INPUT/ um'r T OUTPUT ,10 2a AUDIO RESPONSE umr PRINTOUT common. I- 1 30 g; voicE ANSWER BACK CONTROL PRINT PRINT PRINT 1: 12 13 PATENTEUFEB 8 11m SHEET ElUF 22 14 22 "W SPEECH AUDIO READ CIOMPRESSION B1 UNI-H1 BUFFER 11 CONTROL 82 WORD KEYBOARD COUNTER OPERATOR 13 11 15 SERVICE 15 CONTROL KEYBOARD 2 SEQUENCER 1.0010

FILE a PROCESSOR INPUT/ UNIT OUTPUT 1O 28 AUDIO RESPONSE UNIT PRINTOUT CONTROL 30 g; VOICE ANSWERBACK CONTROL PRINT PRINT PRINT 11 12 13 INVENTORS EVON C. GREANIAS WILBUR J. LEVINE xpn/lcluu M44.

ATTORN EY PATENTEUFEB a 1912 3.6411500 SHEET UZUF 22 56 v VOICE SIGNAL 58 52 DELAY B1 EcoRn READ o o 34 v DETECT n TAPE DRIVE 59 HIGH SPEED CONTROL SER ESQE 6 POSITION WORD VIC E U NCE COUNTER RESET 1 DEOREMENT- SERVICE SEQUENCE CONTROL 4 30 I SERVICE smus WORD GATE A 1%? END 11 DETECT KEYBOARD 1 KEYBOARD OPERATOR PAIENTEU EB B QTZ 3.641.500

SHEET C HJF 22 START FIG. 4 E SEQUENCE FLOW CHART IS ACCEPT SWITCH ON? 52 YES 35 IS WORD COUNTER A ON 6 NO YES INITIATE PROCESSING FROM 1 $5 AUDIO BUFFER A IS PROCESSING FROM AUDIO BUFFER A I COMPLETED? J N YES 37 BEEP STATION A 1 S8 59 IS ACCEPT SWITCH 0N iN0 YES 510 ISWORD COUNTER B ON 6 $11 No YES INITIATE PROCESSING FROM A 512 A AUDIO BUFFERB IS PROCESSING FROM AUDIO BUFFER B F COMPLETED? JAB YES 514 BEEP STATION 8 616 IS ACCEPT swnc 0N JA|o YES IS WORD COUNTER 0 ON 6 818 NO YES INITIATE PROCESSING FROM 319 AUDIO BUFFER o Is PROCESSING FROM AUDIO BUFFER c COMPLETED iwo YES BEEP STATION 0 W FEB 8 I972 SHEET 05 22 ENGAGE READ CLUTCH PROCESS FLOW CHART '1 P2 p3 IS WORD COUNTER ON? 4 p1 NO YES P4 ISTHERE A REQUEST FOR TOTAL? DISENGAGE READ CLUTCH YES P19 N0 1 P5 INITIATE PRINTOUT OF TOTAL P6 STROKE COUNTER ON a YES P7 P P21 IS TOTAL PRINTOUT COMPLETE? ENGAGE READ CLUTCH RESET STROKE COUNTER T00 A NO R YES i P8 P9 IS WORD COUNTER ON 0 P22 YEs P10 INITIATE MEMORY ACCESS DISENGAGE READ CLUTCH 1 P23 P11 P24 15 MEMORY ACCESS COMPLETE? P12 IS STROKE COUNTER ON 5 NO YES P NO YES P15 GATE PRICE FIELD T0 ACCUMULATOR RESET STROKE COUNTER T00 INITIATE PRINT our OF ITEM DOES CHECK men COMPARE? 1 P26 No YES P27 l5 ITEM PRINT our COMPLETE? P14 NO YES REQUEST AUDIO REsPoRsE P16 IS AUDIO RESPONSE COMPlETED? YES RESET A,BAND

CEF'S T00 PATENTEDTRD e 1912 I 3,641.500

SHEET DSUF 22 ui .s ATTON A To AUDIO BUFFER A (H69) 1114 T I PRINT ITEM i PRINT TOTAL 110 102 'Q Q '-(F|G.17) ITEM DATA 112 PRINTER TOTAL DATA 114 (F1616) f FROM TDTA'L ACCUM. A PRINTING COMPLETED 116 To CENTRALCONTROLS 16. 7 STATION 8 To AUDIO BUFFERB 122 I 124 PRINT ITEM 126 FROM CENTRAL PRINT TOTAL 128 CONTROLS (T1011) ITEM DATA 130 PRINTER m (H616) TOTAL DATA A FROM TOTAL ACCUMB PRINTING COMPLETED 134 TOCENTRALCONTROLS 1T1D.1T

115Bu: STATION c To AUDIOBUFFERC 156 (F|G.11)

113B IQ I 142 ,11TD 44 PR'NT 1 FROM CENTRAL RRTRT TOTAL 146 CONTROLS ITEM DATA 14D PRINTER (F|G.16)

TOTAL DATA JFRQM TOTAL ACCUMC COMPLETED 152 To CENTRAL DDDTRDLs (FIG.17)

SHEET Il -10F 22 FROM 1111110111111 1: 1110.12) FE ERROR DETECT & OR 'NCREMENT COUNTER 14% 1 RESET 100 MOD 9 RESET T00 I P17 FROM CENTRAL ACCUM 0011111015 1111111) 151 COMPARE 242\ 100511111111 0011111015 L 1111;.11) $111011 1111110011 ACCESSMEMORY 111011 CENTRALCONTROLS 1 14 REQUEST AUDIO 111531 01155 v 1111010 11551 01151 00111 15110, ggg fi 254 UNIT 10 CENTRAL 0011111015 10111111 11111110 RESPONSE SHEET 15 0F 22 FROM KEYBOARD (F|G.12) H G $5 238 RANDOM ACCESS /ADDRESS ASSEMBLY REGISTER 249 MEMORY 248 V T0 ERROR oETEcT j 25 3 K REQUEST DECODER t: MEMORY READ mm 2 P22 0) DATA RES.2ST E ITEM PRICE I: I-I S 2 Y L ,J 264 266 0: F?) 5/258 268 m m FROM CENTRAL A T0 AL @462 AccuIIIIIAToRs CONTROLS To CENTRAL CONTROLS (FIG-16) (FIG. ITI

FRoIA RANDOM ACCESS MEMORH FIG. ISI

l v x P25 FROM CENTRAL A- -e A-=-e A s CONTROL IEISITI L ACCUM ACCUM ACCUM FEB. 16 A B c TOTAL ACCUMULATORS P TO STATION A To STATI0II B T0 STATIoRc WENTEBFEH Q @912 SHEET NW 22 an an 

1. An arrangement for making information entries into a processing system, processing said information entries, and providing the results of said processing, wherein said entries are made by voice from a plurality of remote stations and said results and/or suitable operational signals are provided to said stations, said arrangement comprising: audio buffer means associated with each of said stations for receiving the respective voice information entries from said stations, and for storing said information; voice reception means for obtaining said stored information and entering it into said processing system; sequencing means for examining said stations to effect the processing of the information of one of said stations at one time; and means responsive to said processing system for providing the results of said entries'' processing said operational signals to said stations.
 2. An arrangement for making information entries into a processing system, processing said information entries, and providing the results of said processing and/or suitable operational signals, wherein said entries are made by voice from a plurality of remote stations, each entry comprising a chosen number of words, and said results and said signals are provided to said stations, said arrangement comprising: audio buffer means associated with each of said stations for receiving the respective voice information entries from said stations, and for storing said information; word counter means associated with each of said stations for entering the number of words in a presented information entry; voice reception means for obtaining said stored information and entering it into said processing system; sequencing means responsive to each of said word counters for establishing which of voice information entries of said respective stations is to be processed, said establishing being in response to a count of said chosen number in one of said word counters; and means responsive to said processing system for providing the results of said entries'' processing and said operational signals to said stations.
 3. An arrangement for making information entries into a processing system, processing said information entries, and providing the results of said processing, wherein said entries are made by voice from a plurality of remote stations, each entry comprising a chosen number of words, and said results and/or suitable operational signals are provided to said stations, said arrangement comprising: speech compression means respectively associated with each of said stations for compressing the duration of said chosen number of words in an information entry; audio buffer means associated with each of said stations for receiving said information entries from said speech compression means and storing it; a word counter associated with each of said stations for counting the words of an entry received by said speech compression means; a keyboard for entering the information stored in each of said audio buffer means into said information-processing system; sequencing means responsive to each of said word counters for establishing the station whose information entry is to be processed in response to a count of said chosen number in the word counter associated with said last-named station; and means responsive to said processing system for providing the results of said entries'' processing and said operaTional signals to said stations.
 4. An arrangement for making information entries into a processing system, processing said information entries, and providing the results of said processing, said entries being made by voice from a plurality of remote stations, each entry comprising a chosen number of words, said respective results and/or suitable operational signals being provided to said stations, said arrangement comprising: speech compression means respectively associated with each of said stations for compressing the duration of said chosen number of words in an information entry; audio buffer means associated with each of said stations for receiving said information entries from said speech compression means and storing it; a word counter associated with each of said stations for containing a count of the words of an entry received by said speech compression means; read control means associated with each of said stations and responsive to its associated word counter and audio buffer means for presenting the entry stored in said audio buffer means word by word; a keyboard for entering the information presented by each of said read control means into said information-processing system; sequencing means responsive to each of said word counters for establishing the station whose information entry is to be processed in response to a count of said chosen number in the word counter associated with said last-named station; and means responsive to said processing system for providing the results of said entries'' processing and said operational signals to said station.
 5. An arrangement as defined in claim 4 wherein processing results output means is provided respectively associated with each station.
 6. An arrangement as defined in claim 4 and further including means for providing an audio signal to said locations to indicate that an entry therefrom can be received by the arrangement.
 7. An arrangement as defined in claim 4 and further including means for decrementing the count of words in a word counter as said words are entered into said information system by said keyboard.
 8. An arrangement as defined in claim 4 wherein each of said speech compression means include a voice detect component which provides an output in response to an average audio level which exceeds a chosen threshold and a delay component for providing a delay interval for a voice input signal which corresponds to the averaging period of said voice detect device, a word counter being incremented in response to the actuating of said voice detect component.
 9. An arrangement as defined in claim 8 wherein an audio buffer means includes a tape loop, a drive for said loop, and write and read heads for said loop, the actuation of said voice detect component causing the gating of said voice signal to turn on said write head and the actuation of said drive, the termination of the actuation of said voice detect component causing the turning off of said write head and the halting of said drive.
 10. An arrangement as defined in claim 9 wherein the attaining of said chosen number in a word counter at a particular station and the establishing of said station for processing by said sequencing means causes the actuation of the tape drive and the read head of said station to play back the information on said loop for entry into said system by means of said keyboard. 